Rameswaram Ramanathaswamy Temple

To worship Lord Ramanatha or Ramalinga, the hallowed sand Linga made by
Sita and installed by Sri Rama, pilgrims enter through the eastern gopuram.
They offer prayers to Lord Anjaneya smeared with sindhoor. Then comes
the Nandi Mandapa, which houses the flag staff and the Nandi. The stuccoed
massive image of the bull is made of lime stone, measuring 17.5 feet high,
23 feet long and 12 feet wide. On either side of the Nandi, one finds
interesting sculptural representations of the ocean gods Mahodathi and
Ratnakara.

The sanctum is flanked on either side by shrines of Vinayaka
and Subramanya.
Inside the sanctum, we worship Sri Ramanathaswamy. It
is said this Linga contains marks of Hanuman’s tail, with which
he tried to uproot it in a fit of anger. The Linga is decorated with silver
kavacha. It is customary to offer abhisheka to the Lord with holy Ganga
water.

In the front mandapa, there is a
canopy, carved under which are images of Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Hanuman
with the two Lingas brought from Kailas, and Sugriva, appearing to be
informing Rama about Hanuman’s return. In three other canopies in
the front hall, we find exquisitely-carved figures of Hanuman, Gandhamadhana
Linga and Agastya Linga.

Parvathavardhini

She is the consort of Lord Ramanatha
and is enshrined separately to His right. There is a Sri Chakra installed
inside. Special significance is attached to a Devi shrine situated on
the right of the Lord’s shrine. In Madurai, too, the shrine of Meenakshi
is situated to the right of Lord Sundareshwara. On Fridays, an especially
decorated image of Parvathavardhini is taken round the temple corridor
in a golden palanquin.

Vishwanatha & Visalakshi

To the north of Ramalinga shrine,
Lord Vishwanatha or Vishwalinga has a separate shrine. This is one of
the two Lingas brought from Kailas by Hanuman. As per tradition, pujas
are first performed to Vishwalinga and then to Ramalinga. In the first
inner corridor, Visalakshi, consort of Vishwanatha, is enshrined.

Sayanagruha (Palliyarai)

This is in the north-eastern corner
of the corridor around the Visalakshi shrine. The gold image of the Lord
is ceremoniously brought here every night from the main shrine and placed
in the Oonjal (swing) by the side of the Devi’s golden idol. The
Sayana puja and the early morning puja, when the Lord is taken back in
a procession to the sanctum, are worth witnessing.

Jyothirlinga

In the first inner corridor, devotees
offer worship to the venerated Spatika Linga, installed by Vibhishana.
This Linga is the southernmost among the 12 famous Jyothirlingas in the
country.

Sethumadava

There is a legend associated with
this shrine. Once there ruled a Pandya king by name Punyanithi. As he
had no issues, he along with his queen undertook a Sethu Theertha Yatra.
Soon he found a baby girl in the palace garden and adopted her as his
daughter. As years passed, the princess reached marriageable age. One
day an old Brahmin from Kashi, holding Ganga water, appeared in the palace
garden and sought her hand in marriage. The king got angry and ordered
the old Brahmin to be kept chained in the temple corridor. That night
the king had a dream in which he realized that the old man in chain was
none other than Lord Vishnu with his daughter, Goddes Lakshmi, by his
side. He fell at the Lord’s feet and sought forgiveness. He gave
his daughter in marriage to Lord Vishnu at Rameswaram. He is known as
Sethu Madhava or Shwetha Madhava (as his image is made of white marble).
In Kashi, Lord Vishnu is worshipped as Bindu Madhava.